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The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop sending homeless people into thousands of dollars of debt with the Ministry of Social Development. Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson says that people at their wits end should not be charged for being put up in emergency housing.

“The use of recoverable loans by MSD has to stop because it is hurting the most vulnerable and makes a mockery of our compassionate approach,” Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson said today.

Four parcels of conservation land that are now included in the Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Conservation Park make up the biggest addition to the park since it was created 17 years ago, Conservation Minister, Eugenie Sage announced today.

First proposed by Forest and Bird 25 years ago, the conservation park was created in 2001 and now spans 24,000 hectares after strategic purchases by the Nature Heritage Fund.

“The parcels now added are part of ongoing reclassification of stewardship land being undertaken by the Department of Conservation,” Eugenie Sage said.

A report showing one in five New Zealand children don’t have enough food should prompt urgent action to roll out a national strategy for free food in schools, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today.

“The Green Party have long-championed food in schools and we currently have a member’s bill in the ballot to establish a Ministry of Education fund for schools to apply to – or opt out of – based on need.

“Eligible schools would work with their community and existing organisations to make food available to children in the way that best suits their community.

The Green Party warmly welcome Government Ministers proactively releasing their Ministerial diaries from February 2019.

“The Green Party have been proactively releasing Green Minister diaries since we came into Government. We are really happy to see Labour and NZ First come on board”, Green Co-leader Marama Davidson said today.

“We have long advocated for Ministerial diaries to be proactively released. It demonstrates transparency and accountability and increases trust in Government.

The Green Party has wrapped up its investigation into New Zealanders being potentially discriminated against for mental ill health whilst applying for work.

The 59 submissions showed that potential discrimination may be occurring across the private and public sector, with large companies like Wishbone, Coca-Cola, Air New Zealand, New World, Countdown and PWC all being raised by New Zealanders for potential misconduct when managing mental ill health in the job application process.

The Green Party have welcomed the report into mental health and addiction, and urge the Government to move quickly and implement the findings before more New Zealanders are harmed.

“The Government has held back from big change in delivering support while awaiting the report’s findings, which serves as a watershed moment for the mental health crisis in Aotearoa New Zealand,” Green spokesperson on mental health and drug law reform Chlöe Swarbrick said today.

The Minister for Climate Change and Green Party co-leader, James Shaw, says New Zealand will put in every effort to ensure success for the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which gets underway in Katowice, Poland, tonight.

“Over the next two weeks in Katowice, COP24 needs to agree the guidelines that countries will use to implement the Paris Agreement,” says James.